3#Awakened by the Vampire Prince (Thorn) (16 page)

Demon Chaser Hybrid

Chapter
1

Even with her eyes shut
she could still see the blood spray from the wound. Then there was the smell. A
rusty stench so strong she could taste it. Deep breaths in...out and in again.
She bit down hard praying that her sharp teeth would recede. Praying that
control, or at least a resemblance of control, would return. The sooner the
better. Her nail beds still tingled. This could only mean one thing, her hands
still possessed dagger like claws. How in the hell had she gone from being a
preschool teacher to this?

A monster. A killer.
Far worse.

Deep down she was still
the same person. She was still Brice Darkstead. She still had a family who
loved her and friends who cared. Although it felt like that part of her life
had ended a million years ago.

It wasn’t easy, but she
continued to try to control her breathing. Her breaths were still fast and choppy.
She needed to slow down, which was hard since the thing inside her loved the
violence. It hummed with the sheer ecstasy of having made a potential kill.

Her victim moaned. The
desperate sound clawed at her and she hissed. The thing wanted at him, it
wanted to finish the job. It became even more ecstatic at the prospect of his
pending death.

Another agonising moan,
it took a moment to realise that the sound had come from her this time. She
felt desperate. He was just an old man for God’s sake; he hadn’t meant to
startle her and meant her no harm.
He did not deserve to die
. If the
thing didn’t settle down soon, she would claw out her own throat to stop it.
All this running and hiding, as well as the dirt and filth, was getting to her.
This was no life and there wasn’t much to lose.

Heaven help her
.

“No..,” she moaned this
time more loudly, having to work that much harder to keep herself under
control. She lifted her right hand to her neck, preparing to do what she needed
to stop herself from killing the man. She felt such sorrow at the prospect of
ending her life like this, but what choice did she have? The thing inside her
pulled back instantly. It was still very much there though, like a house full
of explosives on a sweltering day, anything liable to set it off. Her mind was
still clouded with thoughts of death but at least the capability to think
beyond the murder of an innocent man returned as the thing withdrew.

Brice risked opening
her eyes while still making every effort to breathe slowly.

“Please,” the old man
croaked. He watched her through terrified eyes. His shirt was torn and bloody,
his chest a criss-cross of angry red slashes. She breathed out a sigh of
relief, he would live.

“I’m sorry.” She
scurried back, standing once she was a small distance away.

A Good Samaritan had
tossed her a few coins this morning. Although she’d planned on buying a
chocolate bar, those plans had changed. She’d use the money to call for help
instead. There was a pay phone a few blocks away. She remembered seeing it
because she had wondered if anyone still used a pay phone these days.

 As she made her way
through the streets, Brice prayed that no one would try to jump her. Usually by
this time of night she would be holed up and well hidden behind a dumpster, or
under boxes in one of the side alleys. After living on the streets the last few
months, she’d learned where the safest places were. She may as well have a neon
sign attached to her forehead right now though, because wandering around like
this would draw the attention of all the lowlifes and cops within a hundred
miles, or at least that’s how she felt. She knew with absolute certainty that
if either crossed paths with her at this moment, it would mean their certain
death. She didn’t want any more blood on her hands, so she stuck to the
shadows.

Her whole body shook as
she picked up the phone and inserted the coins. She kept the message short,
relaying where the old beggar could be found and hung up. Now to high tail it
out of here. She knew of a safe place nearby. Another long, sleepless night lay
ahead. There would be no rest for her ever again.

Chapter
2

Garrett felt the edge
of his mind prickle.

He knew the feeling
well, the sign of an oncoming premonition. Drawing on a lifetime of experience,
he allowed himself to be drawn in. At least that way the whole process was
painless and would be over much quicker. There was no point in fighting the
inevitable.

Still, he didn’t have
to like it.

As soon as traffic allowed,
he pulled over onto a quiet side street, switched off the engine, and closed
his eyes. The sensations increased. It felt like a hand was kneading his brain.
Pulling, tugging. Forceful and determined, the vision would demand freedom if
it had to. Images flooded his mind, images of a woman, long chocolate locks in
a wild tangle around a startlingly attractive face, her full lips parted
in…pleasure. His view expanded and his cock swelled.

The woman was naked and
beautiful.

Slim with breasts that
would fit a man’s hands. Only just. She seemed to be straddling someone. Heaven
help him, but the way she moved and arched her back had his balls tightening.
His gaze was first drawn to her eyes, glazed and hooded with desire, then down
to her nipples, tight, begging for attention. On and on she rocked before
flinging her head back in a silent moan. So sensuous, he had to grab hold of
his cock and squeeze to try and stop himself from shooting off.

His visions were always
vivid, but he never felt them this bone-deep. This was like living the moment
instead of watching from the outside. The stranger rocked harder, faster. He
could sense she was about to come hard. Damn, but so was he. Garrett clamped
down harder trying to stop the build. He fought for control. The view expanded more.
It was of her lover from behind.
Lucky bastard.
The man lifted his hands
and palmed her breasts, raking his thumbs over her nipples. The sensation of holding
those full orbs, touching her hard nubs, filtered through to his own hands and
he moaned, unable to stop himself.

Garrett was losing this
battle. Any second now and he was going to come. Right here. Right now. Right
into his pants, like a school boy for God’s sake, and he was helpless to stop
it. This beautiful woman, who smelt of reckless abandon and embodied every
fantasy he had ever had, was pulling him over the edge. This wasn’t even
reality even though it sure felt like it. She threw her head back and the view
expanded some more. He noticed two things at once. Both shocked him intensely.

Demon
Chaser Hybrid
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